Detachable hat-binding



(No Model.)

W. LAWRENCE & H. V. DIBBLE. DETAGHABLE HAT BINDING.

No. 328,694. Patented Oct. 20, 1885.

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UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFrcs.

WILLIAM LAWVRENGE AND HORACE DIBBLE, OF BETHEL, CON NEOTIOUT.

DETACHABLE HAT-BINDING.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,694, dated October 20, 1885.

Application filed August 13, 1884. Serial No. 140,398. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM LAwRENoE and HORACE V. DIBBLE, citizens of the United States, residing at Bethel, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Hat-Bindings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of our invention is, primarily, to produce a hat-binding which shall be inexpensive, may be readily attached and detached, and is held firmly in place without the aid of stitching-in other words, to produce a hatbinding to be sold as an article of manufacture separately from the hat to which it is to be applied.

Our invention is especially applicable to stiff or half-stiff hats, but is capable of appli cation to soft hats.

It is of course well understood that nearly all fur and wool hats as now manufactured, whether stiff, half-stiff, or soft, are provided with wires at or near the edge of the brim. Stiff and half-stiff hats are curled and shaped before the wire is applied, and are held to their shape by the wire, which is formed to correspond with the curl of the brim. In soft hats the wireis given theproper form or shape, and when attached serves to hold the brim in place to prevent drooping, &c. Oords,reeds, &c. ,are frequentlysubstituted for wires,a-nd are usually held in place by stitching, (unless the curl of the brim is so full that they cannot escape from under it,) after which the binding is stitched on. In carrying out ourpresent invention we attach the binding to a wire, reed, or cord in any-suitable mannerthat is to say, we stitch or cement the binding at its edge to the wire, or weave the wire into the edge of the binding, or, if preferred, weave a pocket in the edge of the binding, into which the wire is afterward run. Either of the above means of carrying it out are wholly within the scope of our invention. Into the other edge of the binding we weave or place one or more strands or threads of rubber, which either in weaving or finishing are slightly drawn, as will be more fully explained.

showing the invention applied; and Fig. 3 is a similar section, a portion only of the brim being shown, the wire being shown as further under the curl of the brim, and three rubber strands shown instead of one.

A represents the binding; B,the wire, reed,

or cord; 0, rubber strands, and D the brim of a hat. The width of the binding, the exact position of the wire, reed, or cord after application, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) and the size or number of the rubber strands are not essential features, but may be varied to suit circumstances.

In practice the binding is attached to the wire (whether stitched or woven in) in sucha manner as to lie perfectly smooth on that side, as in Fig. 1. The rubber strands are slightly drawn, so that when the ends of the binding are connected the rubber strands will contract and act to draw the opposite edge of the binding toward the center, as shown. The inner edge of the binding before application to a hat is drawn or gathered on the rubber strand or strands, which are preferably loosely inclosed, so that the binding is free to slip thereon.

The application is as follows: Having placed the wire under the curl of the brim (as in either Fig. 2 or 3, its position beingimmaterial so long as it is securely held) the binding is drawn over the edge of the brim and the rubber strand or strands allowed to contract on the under side of the brim, as clearly indicated, thus drawing that side of the binding toward the center and leaving the binding perfectly smooth over the curl and edge of the brim, where it shows, and so nearly smooth on the under side of the brim that the unevenness is not noticeable.

It is of course well understood that the binding of a hat is almost invariably the first part to show signs of wear. Our improvement contemplates that an old binding may be removed and a new one put 011 in a moments time without stitching andwith out the slightest skill being required in placing and seemin it in position upon the hat.

As an obvious modification of our invention, as illustrated vin Figs. 2 and 3,'one or more rubber strands or a cord maybesubstituted for the wire Where it is desired to use a detachable binding upon any class of hat on which it is preferred not to use a wire. As

stated above, however, we preferably use a wire at one edge of the binding and one or more strands of rubber at the other, although for the purposes of a binding alone a support of any kind will answer at the outer edge, which may or may not be elastic.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim 1. (As a new manufacture,- a detachable binding for hat-brims having at its opposite edges supports-as, for example, cords or wii'e's one or both .of which are made elastic, and which are adapted to lie one upon the upper,-

the other upon the under, side of the brim,

whereby the binding is drawn smooth over the edge thereof, substantially as described;

2. As a new manufacture, a binding for-hats having at oneedge a wire adapted tolie upon the upper side of the brim and at itsother edge one or more elastic strands adapted to lie on the under side of the brim, whereby both binding and wire are held in place without other fastening and the binding is drawn smooth over the edge of the brim.

' The combination, with the brim ofahat,

of a wire adapted to lie on the upper side of 35 WI LIAM LAWRENCE. HORACE v. DIBBLE.

Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, A. B. FAIROHILD. 

